Ahead of the start of the 2022 Six Nations Championship, we look at the winners and losers in the wake of Eddie Jones' 36-man England squad selection; England open their campaign away to Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday, February 5
Wednesday 26 January 2022 10:37, UK
With the start of the 2022 Six Nations under two weeks away, we look at the winners and losers in the wake of Eddie Jones' 36-man England squad selection...
Off the back of a promising autumn, England head into the 2022 Six Nations looking to bounce back from a woeful 2021 campaign which saw them finish fifth for the second time in four years, above only Italy.
A first defeat to Scotland at Twickenham since 1983 was followed by defeats on the road in Wales and Ireland, as England equalled their worst-ever championship performances of 1987 and 2018.
November brought fresh introductions to the squad - eight uncapped players, plus a further 14 with fewer than10 caps - and with them came positive results via victories over Tonga, Australia and South Africa.
With England kicking off their Six Nations campaign away to Scotland on Saturday, February 5, Jones named his 36-man squad last Wednesday.
Approaching the Six Nations, there were perhaps 18 expected squad inclusions which need no prolonged discussion: Joe Marler, Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Jonny Hill, Tom Curry, Ben Youngs, Marcus Smith, Henry Slade, Freddie Steward, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jamie Blamire, Will Stuart, Raffi Quirke, Max Malins, Joe Marchant and Harry Randall.
There remained question marks over quite a few other players, due to a combination of fitness, form and the competitive nature of selection.
Mako Vunipola, Loosehead Prop
Go back even five months, and there was little to no talk of Saracens' highly-decorated loosehead prop Mako Vunipola being frozen out of the England picture.
The 30-year-old was competing on his third British and Irish Lions tour, featuring in all three Tests against South Africa, and had come into the tour off the back of starting four of England's five Six Nations Tests in 2021, having established himself as a mainstay of Jones' plans when fit.
Yet, having been left out of an initial 45-man training squad in September, Vunipola was then a surprise omission from England's 34-man squad for the November Tests.
Further indications of his change in standing with Jones came when he was overlooked after props Marler and Genge were ruled out due to positive Covid-19 tests. Such a situation led to uncapped 21-year-old Bevan Rodd being called up ahead of Vunipola.
Rodd then started against Australia and the Springboks, with Trevor Davison (a holder of one Test cap at the time) providing cover from the bench for the first Test, and Marler returning as a replacement for the latter. All the while, Vunipola's phone remained untroubled.
The Saracen missed out again for the Six Nations despite a CV reading 67 Test caps, three Lions tours, a Rugby World Cup final appearance, three European Cup triumphs and four Premiership titles.
Billy Vunipola, No 8
There was a time when it was considered unthinkable for England to go into a Test without the Vunipola brothers.
Indeed, there is an argument to be made that they were Jones' most important figures during his most successful periods up to now, with No 8 Billy's powerful carrying game absolutely critical to their success.
Like brother Mako, 29-year-old Billy was omitted from England's training camp in September, the Autumn Nations Series Tests and the Six Nations, though.
Having started all 10 of England's Tests between international rugby's return in October 2020 and the end of the 2021, Vunipola then failed to make the Lions tour to South Africa, before missing out on England selection.
"Billy's got to find the best version of himself," Jones said in September. "I think he's going in the right direction at the moment. We'll see where he goes."
The back row has been in superb Premiership form for Saracens since their return to the top flight this season as they sit second in the table, but he still failed to make the Six Nations group.
"They [Mako and Billy Vunipola] have shown good form over the three months since they weren't selected," Saracens head coach Mark McCall said.
"If Eddie wanted to get a reaction from them, he definitely got that. They are both playing well. They have committed to staying in England (both signed new contracts last month), which shows that they want to go to the World Cup.
"But the rest is not up to them...We were surprised in the autumn."
Anthony Watson, Wing
Unfortunately for Watson and England, the Bath flyer was a key man we knew would be unavailable for the Six Nations through injury.
The 27-year-old, who has 51 caps for England, scored four tries in last year's Six Nations and toured with the Lions to South Africa in the summer, suffered an ACL knee rupture back in October playing for Bath vs Saracens in the Premiership, ruling him out of the autumn, Six Nations and the rest of the season in all likelihood.
The injury was a huge blow to a player who has previously returned from two Achilles ruptures, and a massive loss to Jones as well with Watson one of the premier back-three performers in world rugby.
Owen Farrell, Centre/Fly-half
When England skipper Farrell suffered a serious ankle injury in November against Australia - which it later transpired required surgery - there were real concerns he would miss out on the Six Nations.
Yet to play since sustaining the injury on November 13, Saracens coach McCall confirmed last week Farrell was ahead of schedule and in line to return on the pitch on Sunday vs London Irish in the Challenge Cup.
Having made Jones' England squad, disaster then struck for Farrell when he suffered a fresh ankle injury in Saracens training, causing him to withdraw. Farrell has now been ruled out of the entire tournament having been told more surgery is required.
Manu Tuilagi, Centre & Jonny May, Wing
Injuries have ruled out two further key players for England, with Sale's Tuilagi not fit enough to make the initial squad and Gloucester's May withdrawing on Monday after initial selection due to a knee injury.
Both have been core figures for England under Jones, and their unavailability is a blow to the players and squad as a whole. May has not yet been ruled out for the entire tournament but is "more likely than not" to miss all five games, according to Jones.
Alex Dombrandt, No 8
For a long while it appeared Harlequins No 8 Dombrandt would fall victim to the same fate as Sam and Joe Simmonds, Danny Cipriani, Jack Willis, and most recently, George Ford, in playing exceptionally at Premiership level only to be passed over for Test recognition.
Since joining Quins in 2018, the 24-year-old has made 24 appearances or more in each season, and scored double-figure try totals from back row for the last four seasons: 2018/19 (11 tries), 2019/20 (13 tries), 2020/21 (11 tries), 2021/22 (13 tries in 14 appearances so far).
Dombrandt's performances were crucial as Quins pulled off an unlikely Premiership title success last season, with the No 8 linking up brilliantly with playmaker Smith on numerous occasions.
Despite registering such try totals and consistently producing performances which displayed a superb carrying game and deceptive turn of pace, it took until the summer of 2021 for Dombrandt to be capped under Jones for England, facing Canada at Twickenham in a 70-14 win.
Since then, fortunes have changed as he featured in all three November Tests vs Tonga, Australia and South Africa, while continuing his scintillating form for Harlequins.
Jamie George, Hooker
The international career of Saracens hooker George has been most curious, both historically and in recent times.
Indeed, George's first 17 Test caps all came from the replacements bench behind then-captain Dylan Hartley. He started in all three Tests for the Lions in New Zealand in 2017, before six of his next eight England caps continued to come from the bench.
Thereafter, Hartley's exit from the Test stage and impending retirement saw George become the main man at hooker for Jones between 2018 and 2021, until this season.
Having been left out of the September training camp, George was then sensationally left out of England's autumn squad behind the likes of Blamire (then one Test start vs USA), Nic Dolly (then uncapped) and Cowan-Dickie, only to find himself called up when the latter had to withdraw injured.
Then, despite having been left out of the original extended England squad altogether, George was picked to start vs Tonga, scored two tries, started again against the Wallabies a week on, before a knee injury kept him out of the clash with the Springboks.
George, who must be wondering whether he is coming or going with Jones, made his return from injury last month, captaining Saracens to a crushing 30-6 win over Northampton, before making the England cut.
Bevan Rodd, Loosehead Prop
At just 21 years old, Sale Sharks loosehead Rodd would have been forgiven for thinking he was a good bit off Test reckoning yet.
In November, he was a surprise call-up, though, when first Marler and then Genge were ruled out through Covid, and Mako Vunipola had been frozen out of the picture.
Rodd went on to start in the victories over Australia and South Africa in a real sink-or-swim situation for the prop. It is fair to say Rodd swam and has been rewarded with a Six Nations 2022 squad place.
Alfie Barbeary, Back Row
Among the uncapped players spoken about as potential selections, Wasps back row Barbeary has perhaps performed the best.
The 21-year-old, whose ball-carrying is so impactful his position was changed from hooker to back row while a professional, is enjoying a fantastic season for Wasps and made it into England's plans as a result.
Ollie Hassell-Collins, Wing
With Bath's Watson ruled out this year, competition for places in the back-three was more competitive than ever, and 22-year-old uncapped London Irish wing Hassell-Collins has emerged as a live option for Jones.
Hassell-Collins strikes a wonderful blend of elusive, pacy running with powerful carries into traffic. With seven tries in all competitions so far this season, his form easily justifies his call-up.
George Ford, Fly-half
The Gallagher Premiership's Player of the Month for October and December so far this season, Ford's demotion in Jones' England ranks over the last year has been most peculiar.
Since Jones took over the England job in 2016, the Leicester Tiger has always been one of his most trusted players, with the Australian coach often opting to deploy a dual-playmaking structure with Ford at 10 and Farrell at inside centre.
Indeed, between 2016 and 2021 Ford picked up 60 Test caps under Jones. In six Six Nations championships under Jones, Ford featured in 28 of a possible 30 Tests, starting 22 of them, while he has also been named captain on a handful of occasions.
Yet, having started England's final four games of the 2021 Six Nations, Ford was overlooked for the Lions tour and then - as was the case with the Vunipola brothers and Jamie George - was left out of England's September training camp and Autumn Nations Series squad.
Despite Harlequins' Marcus Smith still coming back from injury and Farrell testing positive for Covid in November, Jones picked Northampton's George Furbank - ordinarily a full-back - at fly-half vs Tonga, rather than call up Ford.
Ford was then left out of the Six Nations squad too, with Smith, Farrell and Bath's uncapped Orlando Bailey the out-halves picked. Farrell's injury withdrawal granted a Ford a reprieve though, and he was called-up on Monday.
Freddie Steward, Full-Back
Outside of the usual suspects, if there is one man to keep an eye on this Six Nations then it is 21-year-old Leicester full-back Steward.
Having made his Test debut in the summer vs the USA, 6ft 5in Steward emerged as Jones' first-choice full-back in the autumn, starting against Tonga, Australia and South Africa, scoring tries against both the Wallabies and Boks, and playing with a power, calmness and high-ball ability which marked him out as outstanding.
